And then he kissed her
by NettieC
Summary: Fluffy Harm and Mac, and a little Valentine's surprise.


Disclaimer: They don't belong to me.

AN: Written for the February challenge on HBX - story had to be once scene and include the line 'and then he kissed her'.

AN: Thoughts and prayers go out to all those suffering the extremes of the weather. In the last few days our country has seen floods, bushfires and cyclones, each decimating the lives of so many. May we all stay safe, stand strong and stick together in the face of such adversity.

-  
And then he kissed her...  
February Challenge

Harmon Rabb Junior could usually be relied on to keep a level head during an emergency. He was usually the one to take charge, to lead others, to solve the problem ...but not today. Today he was a basket case and pushed out of the way by his wife who couldn't deal with the patient and her husband.  
"Move!" she barked, the marine colonel in her coming out of retirement to take charge.  
"But...but..." he stammered, so Mac physically relocated him from her path.

In next to no time, Mac had scooped up their daughter and headed to the bathroom.  
"Ssh, shh, baby," she soothed, kissing the toddler's head. "Momma's here. Momma's here," she said, as the girl writhed and screamed in her arms. "It's okay, Lu-Lu."

Whilst Mac may have sounded convincing to her own ears, three year old Lucy Amelia MacKenzie Rabb was having none of it and she was letting them know.  
"Come on, baby, it's only a little boo-boo," she said, grabbing the tissue and dabbing her bloodied lip. "Momma will fix it."  
"Big boo-boo," she cried, turning to look at herself in the mirror.  
"Yes, a big boo-boo," Mac agreed. At three, anything which produced blood was a major trauma.  
"Daddy did it," she said, glaring at her father in the same way her mother could.

Mac quickly glanced at Harm, who was standing in the doorway not too sure if he should help, before taking a fresh tissue and dampening it.  
"And how did daddy do it?" Mac asked, looking from daughter to father.  
"He give me whizzy-dizzy," she said, shaking her finger at him. "Momma say no whizzy –dizzy in the house."  
"That's exactly what momma says," Mac said, inspecting her daughter's teeth to ensure none had been loosened. "Then what happened?"  
"Den he put me down and I bumped into the wall," she said, checking her reflection once more.  
"And that's one reason momma says not to do it inside," Mac said, shaking her head.  
"Daddy naughty," Lucy said. "He need time out."  
"I think you're right," she replied, picking the child up and turning around. "Daddy knows where the time out step is."  
"But momma I..." he started but all it took was a raised eyebrow from Mac and that was the end of it. After all, it was he who first put the whizzy-dizzy ban in place. "Time out it is."

As Harm took himself to the bottom step of the staircase, Mac took Lucy into the kitchen and got her a lemonade Popsicle to ease the swelling of her bottom lip. Once the iced confection was in her hand she happily ran out to where her dad was sitting.  
"Sorry you in trouble," she said, sitting beside him.  
"Me too," Harm said. "But rules are rules."  
"I like whizzy-dizzy's," she said. "It's like flying."  
"That's why I like it too," he agreed.  
"Daddy want Popsicle?" she asked and Harm nodded.  
Lucy handed him her one and raced back to the kitchen.  
"Momma more Popsicle, please," she said and Mac turned to face her.  
"I just gave you one," she replied. "Where is it?"  
"Give it to daddy," she said proudly.  
"But daddy is in timeout," Mac said, trying to fight her smile.  
"Daddy is a good boy," Lucy began. "Just made a mit-take."  
"Well, daddy can have a Popsicle if he promises to be a good boy and listen to momma," Mac said getting the item from the freezer.

Lucy reached out to grab it but Mac held it steady. "Momma, I take it." Mac released it and Lucy ran back to the step and sat beside Harm once more.  
"Momma says you promise to be a good boy," she said watching eagerly as Harm unwrapped the treat.  
"I promise," Harm said.  
"Momma says you have to listen to momma," she continued and Harm nodded.  
"I will," he said.

All the while, Mac stood at the kitchen door and watched father and daughter chat away while enjoying their popsicles. A huge smile spread across her face as she saw Lucy move from her position to a more comfortable one on Harm's lap.  
"Daddy, read me a bedtime story?" she asked with a yawn.  
"I will if I'm finished with time out," he said, tousling her chocolate locks.  
"You finished," she said with a smile. "Me did some of the whizzy-dizzy, so me did some of the time out."  
"You're amazing," Harm said, leaning down and kissing her forehead.  
"I am," she said proudly.

Ten minutes later, Lucy was dressed in pink cowboy pyjamas and snuggled under the covers to ward off the chill of a cold February night. Harm lay alongside her, The Very Hungry Caterpillar in his hands. He wasn't a fan of the caterpillar's diet but Lucy was getting so good at the days of the week and counting that he let it go.

It was during his second reading that Mac appeared in the room, sitting at the foot of the bed while Harm concluded the story. Soon there were goodnight hugs and kisses before Lucy's eyelids dropped and Mac and Harm retreated from the room.  
"Sorry about the whizzy-dizzy and the bloodied lip," Harm said, as Mac looped her hands around his neck and pressed against him. "I said no but Lu-Lu really wanted to do it and ..."  
"Harm, she's three," Mac said exasperated.

Ever since their daughter had been old enough, Harm and Lucy had been a fine pair. It often seemed to be them against the world and Harm delighted in having an ally in the child. While Lucy was the image of her mother, she had Harm's deep blue eyes and it was clear from day one that he was completely besotted by the girl.

Far from feeling left out, Mac was delighted by their close relationship. It was the type of relationship she had craved with her own father and she felt truly blessed that young Lucy could experience it. The only issue was that Harm was a basket case every time she was in pain. The nights the child was teething and was in utter distress, Harm was in floods of tears as he cradled her. The first time she skinned her knee, Harm went so pale Mac thought he was going to pass out; three years on little had changed.

"I know, I know," he said quickly, leaning his head on Mac's. "It's just..."  
"I know, I know," she said. "She's daddy's little girl."  
"She is," he said with a proud daddy grin which threatened to split his face in two.  
"Hmmm," Mac said with a quick shake of her head. "What am I going to do with you?"  
"Well, if you're ready to call it a night, we could head in there," he said, tilting his head towards their bedroom. "And work on a little brother or sister for Lu-Lu ... after all, it is Valentine's Day."  
"I suppose," Mac said and Harm frowned, Mac didn't seem all that happy about the prospect.  
"If you don't..." he began but Mac stopped him by pressing a finger against his lips.  
"I'm ready to call it a night," she confirmed. "And ready to spend Valentine's night in bed with you, but not to work on another baby."  
"Oh," Harm said somewhat disappointed, Lucy was the apple of his eye but he wanted a house full and up until now he believed Mac wanted that too.  
"Oh," she echoed, as she ran one hand up to his face. "It's not that I don't want another baby," she said, taking his hand and resting it on her abdomen, "I do. It's that there's already two in there and a third would be a little too much."

Harm stood in shocked silence as he processed his wife's words...'already two in there'... 'two in there'...'TWO'  
"Um..." he said with a shake of his head. "Can you repeat that?"

Mac grinned; it would be her pleasure. "Well, Harmon," she started. "I am eight weeks pregnant...with twins."  
Harm shook his head once more.  
"This isn't how I planned to tell you," she said, pressing him between her body and the hallway wall. "I was going to do it over our romantic Valentine's dinner at the restaurant and had it organised so the waiter would bring over the ultrasound picture...but you threw a spanner in those works when you decided you wanted to spend Valentine's with both your girls at home."  
"Twins," Harm managed. This was all feeling very surreal.  
"Yes, Harmon, twins," she said slowly, like he was a young child. "We are having twins...two babies."

When the news finally registered, Harm grinned broadly and picked his wife up, spinning them around in the hallway. Then, remembering the earlier whizzy-dizzy episode and the fact she was two months pregnant, he stopped suddenly and eased her down.  
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," he said, smothering he face in kisses. "I love you so very much."  
"I love you too, Harm," she said as she caressed his face.  
For several minutes, they stood staring at each other as the news truly sunk in. When she could take no more, Mac took his hand in hers.  
"Still interested in going in there?" she asked, nodding to their room and Harm nodded before trailing her into their bedroom and locking the door.  
"Happy Valentine's day, Harm," Mac said as she started to undress him.  
"Happy Valentine's day, Mac," he said, unbuttoning her shirt.

And when there were no clothes left to shed and no words left to speak, Harm smiled; his utter love and devotion to his wife evident in his deep blue eyes. Taking Mac in his arms, he held her close and gazed deeply into her eyes until all was right with the world, and then he kissed her.


End file.
